Irish tech firm Nines in solar cell breakthrough

Nines Photovoltaic (Nines PV), an Irish technology company based in the Synergy Centre at IT Tallaght, has developed innovative new processes to reduce the production costs of solar cells.

Ed Duffy, Founder and CEo Nines PV and James Wright Head of Department of Electronic Engineering IT Tallaght

Nines Photovoltaic (Nines PV), an Irish technology company based in the Synergy Centre at IT Tallaght, has invented and patented an innovative new process which will significantly reduce the production costs for solar cells, used to trap light and make energy. Nines has invested €1.5 million in a newly commissioned Atmospheric Dry Etching (ADE) pilot scale demonstrator at IT Tallaght, where it can now start trials of the patented process with international solar cell makers.

“This progression is an important milestone and the beginning of an ambitious development programme to address a compelling market need,” says Ed Duffy, Founder and CEO of Nines PV. “Our new demonstration centre will enable work on further valuable process techniques and intellectual property that will help our customers to integrate Nines ADE into their manufacturing processes.”

“Our collaboration with Nines PV demonstrates the potential for success that can be achieved in joint industry and academic partnerships,” says Thomas Stone, President of IT Tallaght.

This significant breakthrough will enable solar cell manufacturers to cut their costs of production by up to 25pc. For a typical solar cell producer this will equate to savings of up to €20 million a year.